Key-actuating mechanism for time-registers.



v G. H. JENKINS. KEY AOTUATING MECHANISM FOR TIME REGISTERS. APPLICATION IILEDYSEPT. 23, 1910.

1,101,800, Patented June 30, 1914.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES-H. JENKINS, 0F BELLEVILLE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO NEWMAN CLOCK COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

KEY-AOTUATING MECHANISM FOR TIME-REGISTERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30, 1914:.

Application filed September 23, 1910. Serial No. 583,330.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. Jenkins, citizen of the United States, residing at Belleville, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Key-Actuating Mechanism for Time-Registers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

In watchmens time registers the sheet or card on which the time record is kept is usually moved by or under the control of the clock at a uniform rate past an lmpression point. The record sheet being graduated or divided into suitable spaces proportional to the rate of movement of the sheet it will be seenthat an imprint made upon the sheet at the-impression point will, by its position with respect to the time-graduations, 1nd1- cate the time at which the imprint was made. A common mode of making such imprints is to employ a key for actuating a type Or die, usually carried by the key, so that by inserting and turning the key in the clock the type or die will be brought into contact with the record sheet and so print iii) or emboss thereon a suitable character or mark. In devices of this kind the contact of the type or die with the record sheet should be in the nature of a sharp, quick blow, rather than a steady pressure, particularly when the mark or character is embossed on the record sheet. It will be evident, however, that it is diflicult if not impossible to produce such a blow merely by manual dexterity in turning the key,

It is therefore the chief object of the present invention to provide simple but ef fective means for causing the. key, as 1t is turned by the watchman, to strike a sharp blow on the sheet instead of merely exerting pressure thereon.

I To this and other ends the inventlon consists in the novel features of construction and combinations of elementshereafter described, and more particularly set forth in the claims.

'While the invention may be employed to advantage in watchmens registers of various kinds I have shown it herein as em bodied in a device of the well known Newman system, in which, instead of having a clock at each station the watchman carries on his rounds a clock of such size and shape as to make it conveniently portable,

and finds at each station a key which he inserts into the clock and turns, thereby impressing on the record sheet a mark or character indicative of the particular station to which the key belongs. A clock of this type, with my invention embodied therein, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of the clock, with a key in position to be inserted therein. Fig. 2 is a side View, with the outer casing of the clock in section, showing the parts which receive and are engaged by the key. Fig. 3' is a cross section on line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. at is a partly sectional view on a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the key, showing the die for embossing the record sheet. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the key engaging the record sheet and pressing the same into a female die to produce the embossed character. Fig. 7 is a detail view showing a portion of a record sheet, bearing an embossed character.

The record sheet in the system referred to is in the form of a circular disk, 9, graduated by radial lines into suitable time spaces, as shown at 10 in Fig. 7, and is mounted in the clock in such a way as to rotate in unison with the hour-arbor and therefore turn at the rate of one revolution in twelve hours. At the impression point is a female die 11, hearing a radial series of characters, for instance numerals, as shown, to correspond to the several stations which the watchman is supposed to visit in the course of his rounds. Each key therefore has its die in such position as to correspond with the cooperating female die on the plate 11. Thus the key for station No. 5 has its die so located that when the key is inserted and turned the die on the key will cooperate with the character 5 on the die plate. To insure correct insertion of the key it is provided with an angular ward or extension 12, and the key-receiving member 13, in the clock, is correspondingly shaped, as shown. The male die, 1a, is Preferably arranged on this angular ward or extension, Extending beyond the said ward is a lip 15, having a rounded edge for the purpose presently to be described.

Adjacent to female die 11 but on the opposite side of the record sheet is mounted a substantially L-shaped spring 16, attached by its lateral portion to the record sheet supporting plate 17, the main portion of the spring being thus arranged at practically right angles to the plane of the record disk. larried by the end of the spring 16 is a similar but stiffer spring 18 parallel to the first, and on the lateral portion of the second spring is mounted small roller 19, preferably of greater diameter Khan the thickness of the aforesaid rounded edge of the key. The lateral portion of the spring 18 bears on a small roller 20, mounted in the block 21 by which the spring 16 is secured to the plate 17,

When the key is inserted in. the key-slot, in position to be turned to make an imprint on the record disk, the rounded edge of the key overhangs the roller 19, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Now as the key is turned by the operator to bring the die let against the record sheet, the rounded edge of the key first cams the roller 19 backward, or to the right as viewed in Fig. 3, flexing the spring 16 while the spring 18 rides on the roller 20. As the center of the said rounded or cam edge 15 passes the center of the roller the spring 16 throws the spring 18 and roller 19 forward and the roller, engaging now the opposite side of the cam edge, turns or impels the key quickly and causes the die to strike a sharp quick blow on the record disk, thereby embossing on the same a clean-cut mark or character as shown in Fig. 7 the spring 18 flexing slightly, if necessary, to accommodate the key, as will be readily understood. The impression having been made the operator turns the key backward, camming the roller 19 out of the way and permitting the key to be withdrawn from the slot.

The construction illustrated has proved thoroughly satisfactory in practical use and is the form preferred, but it will be understood that the invention is capable of other embodiments without departure from its proper spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a time-register, the combination with means for supporting a die-actuating key and permitting movement of the key to produce an impression on a record sheet, of means for causing the die to strike a blow on the record sheet as the key is moved by the operator, comprising a spring-actuated cam-roller mounted on a resilient support and in position to engage and impel the key in the course of its impression-producing movement.

2. In a time-register, the combination of a die-actuating key having a cam-edge, a support therefor permitting movement of the key to produce an impression on a record sheet, and means for causing the die to strike a blow on the record sheet as the key is moved by the operator, comprising a spring-actuated camroller mounted on a resilient support and in position to engage said cam-edge and impel the key in the course of its impression-producing movement.

3. In a time-register, the combination of a die-actuating key having a cam-edge, a support for the key permitting movement thereof to produce an impression on a record sheet, a cam-roller in the path of said camedge, and a yielding support for the roller serving also to urge the roller against said cam-edge and thereby impart a quick impulse to the key in its iimpression-producing movement.

4. In a time-register, the combination with means for supporting a die-actuating key and permitting movement thereof to produce an impression on a record sheet, of means for causing the die to strike a blow on the record sheet, comprising a cam-roller adjacent to said support and in position to engage and impel the key in the course of its impression-producing movement, a spring on which said roller is mounted, and a yielding support for the spring.

5. In a time register, the combination with a support for a movable die-actuating key, of means for impelling the key in the course of its impression-producing movement, comprising a sning provided with a cam-device thereon or engaging the key, and a yielding support for the sprin 6. In a timeregister, the combination with a support for a movable die-actuating key, of means for impelling the key in the course of its impression-producing movement comprising a spring mounted adjacent to said key-support, a spring carried by the first named spring, and a cam-roller carried by the second named spring and arranged in the path of the key, as set forth.

7. In a time register, in combination, a die-actuating key having an edge, a support for the key, a cam roller in the path of the edge, and resilient means supporting said cam-roller and imparting a quick impulse to the key.

8. In a time register, the combination with a die-actuating key having a cam-edge, a support for the key permitting movement thereof to produce an impression on a record sheet a cam roller in the ath of said camedge, a yielding support or the roller, and means mounted behind the yielding support adapted to prevent backward movement of said cam-roller but allow free lateral movement thereof.

9. In a time register, a die-actuating key having a cam edge thereon, a cam roller mounted on a resilient support, a roller behind and engaged by the resilient support to prevent rearward motion of the cam roller whereby a quick impulse is given to roller serving to urge the roller against said cam-edge and thereby impart a quick impulse to the key in its impression producing movement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES H. JENKINS.

Witnesses:

M. LAWSON DYER, S. S. DUNHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

